Jesse Woolley, who played alongside Rodgers and spent the previous season on loan at Reading, expressed her astonishment at the minimal investment in women’s football at the club.
“Moving from Bristol to Reading was a significant shock and cultural shift for me,” she noted. “It highlights the long journey that women’s football still has ahead of it. Some teams aren’t as fortunate as others, and the situation can change dramatically in an instant.”
“Being women in football doesn’t mean we deserve different treatment, nor should we. This is our profession, impacting our lives and finances, and some players are forced to take on regular jobs just to make ends meet.”
Despite their relegation from the WSL after finishing with just six points, Bristol City will continue to share Ashton Gate with the men’s senior team.
Rodgers reflected on a challenging campaign in which they lost all their home league matches, noting the hardest stretch was after the 2023-24 winter break, where they managed to secure only a single point, but she insists that the team’s spirit remains unbroken.
“We never turned against one another,” she emphasized. “Before Christmas, we had some promising results and were not sitting at the bottom.
“However, post-Christmas, we had crucial matches against teams in the lower part of the table that didn’t go our way.”
“It was a tough stretch; it’s important to remain realistic and not dwell on negativity. We continued to give our all; while it wasn’t sufficient, we stood united as a team.”
